Common Velvet-grass

Holcus lanatus

Found in moist to wet meadows, pastures, disturbed areas, roadsides, hedge-rows, sometimes invasive in bogs, fens, and other natural wetlands. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

—

Not native

Not native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 82%

Height: About 3.3 feet
Light: Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture: Moist to wet

See native alternatives

Holcus lanatus — bloom photograph — (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original photograph

Plant this instead

Your county

Choose your county to list local plants first.

Eastern Narrowleaf Sedge
Carex amphibola
Sun: Partial shade, Full shade, Full sun. Soil: Somewhat dry to average. Flowers: Green.
Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous
Quill Sedge
Carex tenera
Sun: Full sun, Part shade, Shade. Soil: Average to wet. Flowers: Green.
Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous
River Oats
Chasmanthium latifolium
Sun: Dappled sunlight, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Brown/copper, green or purple.
Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

Refine these alternatives in the finder

Check a whole list of plants

At a glance

Bloom: May to October
Fruiting season: Summer to fall

JFMAMJJASOND

Not yet recorded · Spread · Life cycle · Leaves

Recorded in 10 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Wet meadows

Open, wet, grassy or sedgy ground that is not a bog.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

Mountain bogs and fens

Wet, open, peaty mountain wetlands fed by seepage, often with sphagnum moss.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 131 animals.

Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Red-headed Woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Ring-necked Duck
Aythya collaris
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Regulus calendula
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Ruffed Grouse
Bonasa umbellus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Rusty Blackbird
Euphagus carolinus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Tree Swallow
Tachycineta bicolor
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Veery
Catharus fuscescens
Birds. 2 shared habitats
White-throated Sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
White-winged Dove
Zenaida asiatica
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Wilson's Snipe
Gallinago delicata
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Wood Thrush
Hylocichla mustelina
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus americanus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Yellow-crowned Night-heron
Nyctanassa violacea
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Dendroica coronata
Birds. 2 shared habitats
American Coot
Fulica americana
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Woodcock
Scolopax minor
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Barred Owl
Strix varia
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

—CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Poaceae
Flower color: Green
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth habit: Several stems
Foliage color: White-gray
Fruit begins: Summer
Fruit ends: Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “May to October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Foliage color · “White-gray” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Height · “About 3.3 feet” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Light · “Partial shade; Full sun (documented habitat)” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Soil · “Moist; Wet (documented habitat)” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia

Also known as

Common Velvet grass; Soft Grass; Velvet Grass

Conservation status

Alabama rank	SNA
Global rank	GNR
AL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source